Because of some events that have happened in our family recently I have been thinking about love.
When we think of love a number of common sayings immediately come to mind. We “fall in love.” “Love is blind.” “Love is a decision not an emotion.” “Love conquers all.” “Love inspires to great heights of achievement.” There are hundreds more; everyone seems to have had an opinion on love. Just google it!
We note a problem, though. As we analyse these different sayings, we discover that they are contradictory. Or are they, really? Do they just express different facets of the same thing?
In spite of myself, I made a wise decision when I was a young man. Wanting a life partner, I had embarked on a quest to find the ideal young lady with whom to share my life. After two abortive attempts and a lot of heartache, I got smart. Being a Christian believer who wanted to serve God, I realized I had to enlist His help in my quest. God has a much broader view of life and time than I do, so by asking for His help, I was doing a good thing.
He did put a young, beautiful brunette in my path. I was strongly attracted to her and found myself “in love.” In the intervening years I have come to realize that a large part of that “in love” was the attraction part. The young lady, happily for me, reciprocated and we soon married and began our life together. This year we have known each other for 45 years!
As in every other area of life, the choices we make in this part of our lives carry consequences with which we will live for the remainder of our years. And recognizing that, I confess to you that I have come to know that, yes, love is much more a decision than it is an emotion. And, when I make a decision, it should be made with the full realization of the consequences that will come from it –that means I must take responsibility for my decision.
There will be happy days; there will be euphoric days. There will also be days filled with regret and suffering – the suffering we bring upon ourselves and our – now! – life’s partner and, also the suffering we will bring to others.
Fortunately for the Christian, there is hope of redemption from that suffering. The very nature of faith in Christ calls us to acceptance, repentance and pardon – elements of relationship which our contemporary world does not want to acknowledge and does not want to practice. Christ’s own example of love for His world, as well as His Spirit in our lives, calls us continually to such actions.
Are you in love? That person you love may seem to be perfect, but you know that can’t be true because they love you in return, and you know how imperfect you are! Are you ready to make the decision, as Christ did, to accept the responsibilities that love imposes and to live out the consequences of your choice? If not, you’re only attracted and should not go rushing in where wiser heads would advise you to stay out.
The real nature of love is to give yourself for the benefit of the other person. If two do that, together they become whole and can truly show love in this world.
Think on these things!
Profdifficile
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